In the cold of space you find the heat of suns
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Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male › Naruto/Sasuke
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
91
Views:
4,724
Reviews:
636
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
3
Category:
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male › Naruto/Sasuke
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
91
Views:
4,724
Reviews:
636
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
3
Disclaimer:
This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.
Boarded
Thank you for the reviews. It is exciting to hear both from old friends and new readers.
Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.
Spacer crews travel the Far Borders and the Fringe of occupied space, trading. Spacing is an ancient and honourable profession carved out by millenniums. Most spacers start out as fourteen-year-old boys seeking a future. Few survive a decade spacing.
66. Boarded
Sasuke managed to dodge the blow because Naruto was already passing out when he made it; he whispered thanks to Shikamaru for the controller that made the life they shared possible.
He had not been frightened. He refused to be frightened of his Naruto. The trembling was a side effect of adrenalin, not a symptom of fear.
He pulled Naruto’s limbs into less contorted positions, put a pillow under his head and covered him with the bedcover. He looked at the steel barrier between him and the nursery. Damn Kakashi and is insistence on a safe room. Sasuke stalked to the door. He knew it would not open; a similar steel shutter would have dropped within the wall. He leaned on the button for the local intercom and spoke loudly.
“This is Sasuke. The safe room function has engaged. Please report.”
He made himself wait. He was on the verge of speaking again when a click announced that someone on the other side of the door was about to use the intercom.
“This is Iruka. The crew rooms and galley are sealed off from the rest of the ship. We are establishing defensive positions at the three entrances and activating the battle chairs to try to connect to the ship’s systems. No one in either crew room is hurt. We are trying to establish contact with Asuma-san.”
“That is good,” Sasuke confirmed. “Tell Kakashi-sensei I am relying on him. Naruto went berserk when the shutter came down between him and the nursery. If you can spare the personnel, please can someone get the door between the nursery and the crew room open and check the babies before he wakes up?”
“Understood, Sasuke-sama. Rin-san and I will see to it. I will update you soon.”
Iruka released the button of the intercom. Should he have told Sasuke that Shikamaru and Neji were not in the crew room? On one hand Sasuke had requested a report but on the other he was stuck in the safe room with nothing to do but worry.
Shino and Kakashi were activating the two battle chairs in this crew room while Fu and Hamaki did the same in the other. Dan had found and was distributing laser guns. Konohamaru and Inari were unpacking and laying out suits. Gai was organising people into three groups, one for each entrance. There had been no more explosions, which was good.
Iruka sent Tayuya to find Rin and started working on the door to the nursery.
Neji was startled awake by the explosions. For a split moment he did not know where he was but then he remembered; they had fallen asleep after fucking in Shino’s garden, the one he was growing in a hydroponics bay as a surprise for Anko. Shikamaru was still asleep. Then the alarms started and Shikamaru startled awake.
There was a breeze that was building into a wind. They looked at each other for a split moment before sprinting for the locker that held the emergency suits.
Neji had to help Shika seal his suit. In a life-threatening crisis it was better not to think and Shikamaru was incapable of that. Neji sprung the panel concealing the gun box, inputted the code and removed two laser pistols. He strapped one holster to Shika’s leg and the other to his own. He slung the repair kit across his back and held out the medic pack to Shikamaru.
Around them the plants were wilting and shrivelling; either the hull breech was within hydroponics or something had happened to stop the hatches sealing.
Movement; Neji pulled Shikamaru into cover.
Kakashi controlled his fury. The battle chairs were useless. Someone, he was almost certain it was Kabuto, had connected zapboxes to the wiring and had managed to knock out all five circuits. The ship wide intercom would only crackle and the backup radios fizzed with interference. The only communication device working was the local intercom between the room they were in and the safe room because it was short range and so heavily shielded.
At least Sasuke and Naruto were safe. He was trying not to think about Shikamaru; he thanked the Lady that Neji was with him. Asuma would protect Kurenai and the children.
“I want every active elite fighter suited and armed,” he ordered and watched as they sprang into action. He went over to where Iruka was trying to persuade the door to the nursery to open. “Is there air on the other side?” he asked.
Iruka nodded.
“Shino, over here,” Kakashi called. “Get this door open.” He pulled Iruka to one side. “We’re going to seal the galley and this crew room, vent the air in the other crew room and go see what is happening. Everyone staying here should be suited and armed with helmets and gloves ready. Anko can organise defensive positions. You check the babies and get the gestators into their shells. The only way we have of communicating is to beat messages on the bulkheads. Choza knows the code we will use.” He pulled Iruka to him and kissed him.
“I love you, ‘Kashi,” Iruka whispered when they pulled apart.
Kakashi pushed back Iruka’s long, loose hair from his face. “Ir-chan. My life’s love,” he replied and walked away quickly to don his suit.
Naruto was growling as he recovered consciousness. Sasuke was ready.
“Tell me you are absolutely certain you would have made it and I will apologise,” he said. “The babies need their chichi alive, not cut in two.”
Naruto flushed. He did not know if he would have made it. He had not thought. “I am sorry,” he admitted. He was on his feet, prowling.
“I have spoken to Iruka,” Sasuke told him. “He and Rin are going to get the other door open and check the babies. The crew rooms have air and everyone in them is fine. As yet, we have no other information about what is happening.”
“Turn off the safe room,” Naruto insisted.
Sasuke sighed. “We can’t. It does not work like that. It’s a minimum of three days, Naruto. You know that.”
“Shi-chan could get it to open,” Naruto insisted.
Sasuke agreed that Shikamaru probably could. “Shikamaru has other things to do, dobe, like finding out what is happening and dealing with it.”
Shikamaru prodded one of the small, suited bodies with his foot. He guessed it was some type of hybrid, but it was definitely more animal than human. He could see a furry and whiskered face through the helmet. At least it confirmed that Kabuto was their antagonist.
The fight had been strange. The hybrids’ laser pistols had been set so low that they did not even damage their suits. Shikamaru knew that because one of them had scored a direct hit and he was still alive.
Neji was still recovering from the moment he had thought that his Shika was being drilled through by a laser. He checked the intercom and the radio; neither was working. He tapped Shikamaru on the shoulder and signalled that he was going to connect their helmets. Shikamaru nodded.
“Communications are out,” Neji told him.
“Taken down,” Shikamaru clarified. He considered. What other ways did they have of communicating? Old Uchiha had a long-short code. “I am going to beat out a message,” he warned Neji and disconnected their helmets.
Kakashi felt the vibrations but missed the meaning. He looked to Choza, who had his ear on a cup pressed against one of the main bulkheads. Konohamaru was writing what he was saying but Kakashi could read his lips. “Neji. Shika. Well. Hull breech. Suited. Hybrid fighters. Lasers. May have no-kill orders. Saw two. Killed two.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. Trust Shikamaru to know a code he had never been asked to learn and to think of using it so quickly. He went to where the fighters were assembled in the other crew room. Haku slid the door closed behind him. He heard it lock and seal.
“That was Shikamaru and Neji reporting in. We have hybrid fighters on board armed with lasers, but it may be their job to distract and delay us rather than kill us. Hamaki, Fu and Terai, your job is to get Kisame to his ship. Kisame, I want you launched as soon as possible. Disable any ship leaving the Oak. Destroy any strange ship unless you are absolutely certain it is a friend. Don’t forget to scatter tags. Dan and Kunugi, you are with me. Tatsuji and Inoichi, you are with Gai. Kill the fighters, capture Kabuto and find out what is happening. We can only communicate through long-short, so keep it brief. Helmets on.”
Shino slid open the door to the nursery. Iruka pushed his way in through the hangings. All looked as usual, which was a relief; he had half expected to see three unoccupied hollows and a hole in the wall. Rin slipped past him and started checking the displays. Iruka saw her relax and crouched down to pull the shells from under the platform.
“Everything is in the green,” Rin confirmed. “The gestators’ transfer into isolation mode was flawless.”
They placed each gestator to its shell, each shell in a harness, each shell in its hollow and clipped harnesses to the platform. Iruka then told Shino to make sure that the door was jammed open; the last thing they wanted was for the door to shut and seal, isolating the babies. He then went to the intercom.
Naruto jumped to the intercom when he heard the click.
“Iruka reporting. Rin-san has checked the babies and they are well. We have put the gestators in their shells and harnesses.”
“She viewed them?” Naruto asked.
“We had to go off the displays, Naru-kun, because the gestators went into isolation mode when the communications were cut off. Rin-san is a master at reading displays. They are fine.”
Sasuke gave Naruto a hug. “And the rest?” he asked.
“We have been boarded,” Iruka confirmed. “Probably by Kabuto and some hybrid fighters. There is at least one hull breech. All communications have been taken down. We do not know what he wants. We evacuated the other crew room to use as an air lock and the fighters are dealing with it.” There was a pause. “Shikamaru and Neji weren’t in the crew room but we have now heard from them and they are suited and mobile.”
Sasuke scowled. “You did not tell me that last time, Iruka-san.”
There was another, shorter, pause. “I apologise, Sasuke-sama.”
“I understand,” Sasuke replied. “Thank you for checking the babies. Please keep me updated.”
Naruto released the switch. He shook himself. Shi-chan being out there was bad.
Sasuke squeezed his arm. “Neji is with him. Neji will make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Neji was following Shikamaru along a corridor before he realised how wrong that was. Firstly he did not know where they were going and, secondly, if anyone was going to lead it was him. He caught Shikamaru’s hand, pulled him to him, pushed him against the bulkhead and connected their helmets.
“We are going to the crew room,” he insisted.
“But I am almost sure Kabuto is in the infirmary,” Shikamaru complained.
“Exactly,” Neji replied. “Shika, just because those hybrids did not kill us does not mean the others or Kabuto won’t. We are going to the crew room. We are getting you back to where you belong, which is close to Sasuke so you can tell him what you are thinking.” He could tell that Shikamaru was going to argue. “Shika, I am not going to explain to Naruto that I let you run around out here playing fighter and you ended up dead or injured.”
Shikamaru flushed. Neji had a point. Ni-chan would be cross. He reconsidered; Kakashi would deduce that Kabuto’s target was the infirmary.
Kakashi sent Gai to bay five, where Kabuto’s ship was docked, with the task of preventing his escape. He, Dan and Kunugi headed for the infirmary.
The explosions had stopped and had not been replaced by any other evidence of escalating damage. Kabuto was not trying to kill them; he intended to steal something or someone. Given that Kabuto was not trying to fight his way into the crew room, the tissue samples in the infirmary seemed his most likely target. There were others, like Shikamaru’s data crystals or Shikamaru himself, but Kakashi did not think Kabuto knew about either.
Progress was slow; Kakashi suspected that the hull had multiple breaches, causing an emergency response that had sealed various corridors at many different points. Some of the emergency doors opened with the appropriate code. Others had air on the other side, which meant waiting until they could equalise the pressure. He hoped that Kisame and Gai were moving more quickly.
Gai stared at the empty bay, the open hatch and the stars beyond; Kabuto had moved his ship.
Kisame smashed one of the annoying critters into a wall, holed a second through the helmet with his laser and stamped on a third. They seemed to be attracted to him like iron to a magnet. Two were picked off by Hamaki. Kisame looked to where Fu and Terai were working on yet another door. He wished he had a cannon; it would be so much quicker with a cannon.
The door opened to reveal five more. They had been lying in wait and latched onto Kisame immediately, making the laser pistols too risky. Fu and Terai ran to the next door, leaving Hamaki to pick any off that Kisame managed to throw to a safe distance.
Neji and Shikamaru had opened two emergency doors when they found an open corridor. One way led to the infirmary, the other to the crew room. Shikamaru looked in the direction of the infirmary only to have his hand taken by Neji, who started running towards the crew room, forcing Shikamaru to run with him or be dragged.
Kabuto isolated and disconnected the tanks. Pairs of mink hybrids slid them onto the sleds, then closed and sealed the covers. Another pair was cutting though the floor around the steel container that contained the tissue samples. Handles were fixed to the floor before the cutting was complete, then all six hybrids lifted the floor bearing the tissue bank onto the hover platform and secured it,
Kabuto signalled a warning, set the cannon to maximum and fired, blowing a hole in the side of the ship and creating their escape route.
The whole ship shook. It started to pitch and yaw. Kabuto wondered, for a moment, if his calculations had been incorrect but then the ship’s lateral rockets fired to correct the aberrant movements.
Kisame, Hamaki, Fu, Terai and the five hybrids they had next encountered ended up in a pile against the door Fu and Terai had been working on. The mink hybrids went crazy, punching and kicking; their jaws were snapping at nothing within their helmets. Kisame picked them up one by one, smashed each helmet against the bulkhead and threw the creatures down the corridor to die.
Gai had managed to catch Inoichi as he went off the edge of the jetty and fell towards the open bay doors. Tatsuji was clinging to Gai’s legs. He dragged them back to safety.
Neji was thrown into the bulkhead. It took him a moment to recover. When he did so he saw Shikamaru crumpled and motionless. Neji had never moved faster.
His helmet was cracked and the pressure in his suit was dangerously low. Neji unslung the repair pack, found a patch and pressed it carefully over the crack. He then watched the dials. To his relief they started to move in the right direction.
People and objects were thrown about the crew room. Iruka heard the crockery in the galley breaking. He crawled towards the nursery and was rewarded by the sight of the gestators still in their hollows, held by the harnesses.
Naruto and Sasuke had been lying on the bed. Naruto automatically covered Sasuke with his body. As soon as the ship steadied he was at the intercom, stabbing the switch, demanding news of his babies.
Kakashi, Dan and Kunugi rode the unexpected movement and kept working on the last door between them and the infirmary.
One of the mink-human hybrids brought the ship alongside and matched velocities. The ship’s hatch opened and lines snaked across the gap. The hybrids swarmed across, guiding the sleds and the platform. Kabuto followed.
The lines fell away. The hatch closed. The ship accelerated away from the Oak.
Neji could not carry Shika without risking injuring him further. He would not leave him to find a hover platform or help. In desperation, he pounded mayday on the bulkhead.
Fu flung open the last door. Kisame ran to his ship.
Kakashi opened the door and looked through the infirmary and out into space. They were too late. He could see Kabuto’s ship accelerating away. He looked about and saw the hole where the tissue bank had been welded to the floor.
Dan moved past him and began checking the side rooms. The look on his face told Kakashi even before he read Dan’s lips. The bastard had Itachi. He had even taken Natsuhi.
Kakashi imagined Kisame’s response and shivered.
Kunugi was pulling at his arm, insisting that he place his gloved hand on the bulkhead. Kakashi complied, expecting a message. The rhythm of the simple mayday suggested desperation. With no further information the best they could do was to head at speed towards the crew room.
Neji had placed Shikamaru in the recovery position and was watching the dials. The patch prevented him connecting to Shika’s helmet so he could not check if he were breathing. At intervals he would beat mayday on the bulkhead.
He felt running footfalls through the floor. He shielded Shikamaru’s body with his own and drew his pistol.
Kakashi’s gut clenched as he saw Neji crouching over Shikamaru’s body.
Dan was beside them, connecting to Neji’s helmet for information. Kunugi was scouting for anything that could be used as a stretcher or a sling.
It was taking too long. Kakashi activated his implant, waited for it to kick in and scooped Shikamaru up. He looked at the patched helmet and prayed that Shikamaru’s brain had not been deprived of oxygen.
They headed for the crew room.
Kisame cleared the Oak. Kabuto was not heading for the gate. He had to be heading for an ungated hole; a mother ship must be coming to pick him up. Kisame only had until Kabuto jumped to disable his ship or at least to tag it.
He concentrating on getting close enough to launch a projectile filled with tags.
It took forever to fill the crew room with air. Shikamaru showed no sign of regaining consciousness. Kakashi hammered out a message on the door so that Rin would be ready.
Then the pressures were equalised, the door was open and they were in. Rin had the galley set up as a makeshift infirmary. Kakashi lay Shikamaru on the table. Rin and Shino began stripping off his suit. The rest of them removed their helmets and gloves.
Dan was unpacking the supplies he had collected in the infirmary. Rin thanked him with a look.
Under his suit Shikamaru was only wearing his ring and the chain about his neck bearing his love ring for Neji; confirmation of what he and Neji had been doing when the alarms sounded. His hair was down. At Rin’s insistence, Shino removed the jewellery. He handed it to Neji.
Neji stood there, motionless, with the chain dangling from his fingers.
Kabuto’s ship was approaching the hole.
There was no sign of a mother ship, which was good. Kisame launched one projectile, closed the gap slightly and then launched another.
Kabuto’s ship jumped and Kisame roared his frustration. The bastard had a Mulligan drive in a ship too small to hold one; he was gone.
Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.
Spacer crews travel the Far Borders and the Fringe of occupied space, trading. Spacing is an ancient and honourable profession carved out by millenniums. Most spacers start out as fourteen-year-old boys seeking a future. Few survive a decade spacing.
66. Boarded
Sasuke managed to dodge the blow because Naruto was already passing out when he made it; he whispered thanks to Shikamaru for the controller that made the life they shared possible.
He had not been frightened. He refused to be frightened of his Naruto. The trembling was a side effect of adrenalin, not a symptom of fear.
He pulled Naruto’s limbs into less contorted positions, put a pillow under his head and covered him with the bedcover. He looked at the steel barrier between him and the nursery. Damn Kakashi and is insistence on a safe room. Sasuke stalked to the door. He knew it would not open; a similar steel shutter would have dropped within the wall. He leaned on the button for the local intercom and spoke loudly.
“This is Sasuke. The safe room function has engaged. Please report.”
He made himself wait. He was on the verge of speaking again when a click announced that someone on the other side of the door was about to use the intercom.
“This is Iruka. The crew rooms and galley are sealed off from the rest of the ship. We are establishing defensive positions at the three entrances and activating the battle chairs to try to connect to the ship’s systems. No one in either crew room is hurt. We are trying to establish contact with Asuma-san.”
“That is good,” Sasuke confirmed. “Tell Kakashi-sensei I am relying on him. Naruto went berserk when the shutter came down between him and the nursery. If you can spare the personnel, please can someone get the door between the nursery and the crew room open and check the babies before he wakes up?”
“Understood, Sasuke-sama. Rin-san and I will see to it. I will update you soon.”
Iruka released the button of the intercom. Should he have told Sasuke that Shikamaru and Neji were not in the crew room? On one hand Sasuke had requested a report but on the other he was stuck in the safe room with nothing to do but worry.
Shino and Kakashi were activating the two battle chairs in this crew room while Fu and Hamaki did the same in the other. Dan had found and was distributing laser guns. Konohamaru and Inari were unpacking and laying out suits. Gai was organising people into three groups, one for each entrance. There had been no more explosions, which was good.
Iruka sent Tayuya to find Rin and started working on the door to the nursery.
Neji was startled awake by the explosions. For a split moment he did not know where he was but then he remembered; they had fallen asleep after fucking in Shino’s garden, the one he was growing in a hydroponics bay as a surprise for Anko. Shikamaru was still asleep. Then the alarms started and Shikamaru startled awake.
There was a breeze that was building into a wind. They looked at each other for a split moment before sprinting for the locker that held the emergency suits.
Neji had to help Shika seal his suit. In a life-threatening crisis it was better not to think and Shikamaru was incapable of that. Neji sprung the panel concealing the gun box, inputted the code and removed two laser pistols. He strapped one holster to Shika’s leg and the other to his own. He slung the repair kit across his back and held out the medic pack to Shikamaru.
Around them the plants were wilting and shrivelling; either the hull breech was within hydroponics or something had happened to stop the hatches sealing.
Movement; Neji pulled Shikamaru into cover.
Kakashi controlled his fury. The battle chairs were useless. Someone, he was almost certain it was Kabuto, had connected zapboxes to the wiring and had managed to knock out all five circuits. The ship wide intercom would only crackle and the backup radios fizzed with interference. The only communication device working was the local intercom between the room they were in and the safe room because it was short range and so heavily shielded.
At least Sasuke and Naruto were safe. He was trying not to think about Shikamaru; he thanked the Lady that Neji was with him. Asuma would protect Kurenai and the children.
“I want every active elite fighter suited and armed,” he ordered and watched as they sprang into action. He went over to where Iruka was trying to persuade the door to the nursery to open. “Is there air on the other side?” he asked.
Iruka nodded.
“Shino, over here,” Kakashi called. “Get this door open.” He pulled Iruka to one side. “We’re going to seal the galley and this crew room, vent the air in the other crew room and go see what is happening. Everyone staying here should be suited and armed with helmets and gloves ready. Anko can organise defensive positions. You check the babies and get the gestators into their shells. The only way we have of communicating is to beat messages on the bulkheads. Choza knows the code we will use.” He pulled Iruka to him and kissed him.
“I love you, ‘Kashi,” Iruka whispered when they pulled apart.
Kakashi pushed back Iruka’s long, loose hair from his face. “Ir-chan. My life’s love,” he replied and walked away quickly to don his suit.
Naruto was growling as he recovered consciousness. Sasuke was ready.
“Tell me you are absolutely certain you would have made it and I will apologise,” he said. “The babies need their chichi alive, not cut in two.”
Naruto flushed. He did not know if he would have made it. He had not thought. “I am sorry,” he admitted. He was on his feet, prowling.
“I have spoken to Iruka,” Sasuke told him. “He and Rin are going to get the other door open and check the babies. The crew rooms have air and everyone in them is fine. As yet, we have no other information about what is happening.”
“Turn off the safe room,” Naruto insisted.
Sasuke sighed. “We can’t. It does not work like that. It’s a minimum of three days, Naruto. You know that.”
“Shi-chan could get it to open,” Naruto insisted.
Sasuke agreed that Shikamaru probably could. “Shikamaru has other things to do, dobe, like finding out what is happening and dealing with it.”
Shikamaru prodded one of the small, suited bodies with his foot. He guessed it was some type of hybrid, but it was definitely more animal than human. He could see a furry and whiskered face through the helmet. At least it confirmed that Kabuto was their antagonist.
The fight had been strange. The hybrids’ laser pistols had been set so low that they did not even damage their suits. Shikamaru knew that because one of them had scored a direct hit and he was still alive.
Neji was still recovering from the moment he had thought that his Shika was being drilled through by a laser. He checked the intercom and the radio; neither was working. He tapped Shikamaru on the shoulder and signalled that he was going to connect their helmets. Shikamaru nodded.
“Communications are out,” Neji told him.
“Taken down,” Shikamaru clarified. He considered. What other ways did they have of communicating? Old Uchiha had a long-short code. “I am going to beat out a message,” he warned Neji and disconnected their helmets.
Kakashi felt the vibrations but missed the meaning. He looked to Choza, who had his ear on a cup pressed against one of the main bulkheads. Konohamaru was writing what he was saying but Kakashi could read his lips. “Neji. Shika. Well. Hull breech. Suited. Hybrid fighters. Lasers. May have no-kill orders. Saw two. Killed two.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. Trust Shikamaru to know a code he had never been asked to learn and to think of using it so quickly. He went to where the fighters were assembled in the other crew room. Haku slid the door closed behind him. He heard it lock and seal.
“That was Shikamaru and Neji reporting in. We have hybrid fighters on board armed with lasers, but it may be their job to distract and delay us rather than kill us. Hamaki, Fu and Terai, your job is to get Kisame to his ship. Kisame, I want you launched as soon as possible. Disable any ship leaving the Oak. Destroy any strange ship unless you are absolutely certain it is a friend. Don’t forget to scatter tags. Dan and Kunugi, you are with me. Tatsuji and Inoichi, you are with Gai. Kill the fighters, capture Kabuto and find out what is happening. We can only communicate through long-short, so keep it brief. Helmets on.”
Shino slid open the door to the nursery. Iruka pushed his way in through the hangings. All looked as usual, which was a relief; he had half expected to see three unoccupied hollows and a hole in the wall. Rin slipped past him and started checking the displays. Iruka saw her relax and crouched down to pull the shells from under the platform.
“Everything is in the green,” Rin confirmed. “The gestators’ transfer into isolation mode was flawless.”
They placed each gestator to its shell, each shell in a harness, each shell in its hollow and clipped harnesses to the platform. Iruka then told Shino to make sure that the door was jammed open; the last thing they wanted was for the door to shut and seal, isolating the babies. He then went to the intercom.
Naruto jumped to the intercom when he heard the click.
“Iruka reporting. Rin-san has checked the babies and they are well. We have put the gestators in their shells and harnesses.”
“She viewed them?” Naruto asked.
“We had to go off the displays, Naru-kun, because the gestators went into isolation mode when the communications were cut off. Rin-san is a master at reading displays. They are fine.”
Sasuke gave Naruto a hug. “And the rest?” he asked.
“We have been boarded,” Iruka confirmed. “Probably by Kabuto and some hybrid fighters. There is at least one hull breech. All communications have been taken down. We do not know what he wants. We evacuated the other crew room to use as an air lock and the fighters are dealing with it.” There was a pause. “Shikamaru and Neji weren’t in the crew room but we have now heard from them and they are suited and mobile.”
Sasuke scowled. “You did not tell me that last time, Iruka-san.”
There was another, shorter, pause. “I apologise, Sasuke-sama.”
“I understand,” Sasuke replied. “Thank you for checking the babies. Please keep me updated.”
Naruto released the switch. He shook himself. Shi-chan being out there was bad.
Sasuke squeezed his arm. “Neji is with him. Neji will make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Neji was following Shikamaru along a corridor before he realised how wrong that was. Firstly he did not know where they were going and, secondly, if anyone was going to lead it was him. He caught Shikamaru’s hand, pulled him to him, pushed him against the bulkhead and connected their helmets.
“We are going to the crew room,” he insisted.
“But I am almost sure Kabuto is in the infirmary,” Shikamaru complained.
“Exactly,” Neji replied. “Shika, just because those hybrids did not kill us does not mean the others or Kabuto won’t. We are going to the crew room. We are getting you back to where you belong, which is close to Sasuke so you can tell him what you are thinking.” He could tell that Shikamaru was going to argue. “Shika, I am not going to explain to Naruto that I let you run around out here playing fighter and you ended up dead or injured.”
Shikamaru flushed. Neji had a point. Ni-chan would be cross. He reconsidered; Kakashi would deduce that Kabuto’s target was the infirmary.
Kakashi sent Gai to bay five, where Kabuto’s ship was docked, with the task of preventing his escape. He, Dan and Kunugi headed for the infirmary.
The explosions had stopped and had not been replaced by any other evidence of escalating damage. Kabuto was not trying to kill them; he intended to steal something or someone. Given that Kabuto was not trying to fight his way into the crew room, the tissue samples in the infirmary seemed his most likely target. There were others, like Shikamaru’s data crystals or Shikamaru himself, but Kakashi did not think Kabuto knew about either.
Progress was slow; Kakashi suspected that the hull had multiple breaches, causing an emergency response that had sealed various corridors at many different points. Some of the emergency doors opened with the appropriate code. Others had air on the other side, which meant waiting until they could equalise the pressure. He hoped that Kisame and Gai were moving more quickly.
Gai stared at the empty bay, the open hatch and the stars beyond; Kabuto had moved his ship.
Kisame smashed one of the annoying critters into a wall, holed a second through the helmet with his laser and stamped on a third. They seemed to be attracted to him like iron to a magnet. Two were picked off by Hamaki. Kisame looked to where Fu and Terai were working on yet another door. He wished he had a cannon; it would be so much quicker with a cannon.
The door opened to reveal five more. They had been lying in wait and latched onto Kisame immediately, making the laser pistols too risky. Fu and Terai ran to the next door, leaving Hamaki to pick any off that Kisame managed to throw to a safe distance.
Neji and Shikamaru had opened two emergency doors when they found an open corridor. One way led to the infirmary, the other to the crew room. Shikamaru looked in the direction of the infirmary only to have his hand taken by Neji, who started running towards the crew room, forcing Shikamaru to run with him or be dragged.
Kabuto isolated and disconnected the tanks. Pairs of mink hybrids slid them onto the sleds, then closed and sealed the covers. Another pair was cutting though the floor around the steel container that contained the tissue samples. Handles were fixed to the floor before the cutting was complete, then all six hybrids lifted the floor bearing the tissue bank onto the hover platform and secured it,
Kabuto signalled a warning, set the cannon to maximum and fired, blowing a hole in the side of the ship and creating their escape route.
The whole ship shook. It started to pitch and yaw. Kabuto wondered, for a moment, if his calculations had been incorrect but then the ship’s lateral rockets fired to correct the aberrant movements.
Kisame, Hamaki, Fu, Terai and the five hybrids they had next encountered ended up in a pile against the door Fu and Terai had been working on. The mink hybrids went crazy, punching and kicking; their jaws were snapping at nothing within their helmets. Kisame picked them up one by one, smashed each helmet against the bulkhead and threw the creatures down the corridor to die.
Gai had managed to catch Inoichi as he went off the edge of the jetty and fell towards the open bay doors. Tatsuji was clinging to Gai’s legs. He dragged them back to safety.
Neji was thrown into the bulkhead. It took him a moment to recover. When he did so he saw Shikamaru crumpled and motionless. Neji had never moved faster.
His helmet was cracked and the pressure in his suit was dangerously low. Neji unslung the repair pack, found a patch and pressed it carefully over the crack. He then watched the dials. To his relief they started to move in the right direction.
People and objects were thrown about the crew room. Iruka heard the crockery in the galley breaking. He crawled towards the nursery and was rewarded by the sight of the gestators still in their hollows, held by the harnesses.
Naruto and Sasuke had been lying on the bed. Naruto automatically covered Sasuke with his body. As soon as the ship steadied he was at the intercom, stabbing the switch, demanding news of his babies.
Kakashi, Dan and Kunugi rode the unexpected movement and kept working on the last door between them and the infirmary.
One of the mink-human hybrids brought the ship alongside and matched velocities. The ship’s hatch opened and lines snaked across the gap. The hybrids swarmed across, guiding the sleds and the platform. Kabuto followed.
The lines fell away. The hatch closed. The ship accelerated away from the Oak.
Neji could not carry Shika without risking injuring him further. He would not leave him to find a hover platform or help. In desperation, he pounded mayday on the bulkhead.
Fu flung open the last door. Kisame ran to his ship.
Kakashi opened the door and looked through the infirmary and out into space. They were too late. He could see Kabuto’s ship accelerating away. He looked about and saw the hole where the tissue bank had been welded to the floor.
Dan moved past him and began checking the side rooms. The look on his face told Kakashi even before he read Dan’s lips. The bastard had Itachi. He had even taken Natsuhi.
Kakashi imagined Kisame’s response and shivered.
Kunugi was pulling at his arm, insisting that he place his gloved hand on the bulkhead. Kakashi complied, expecting a message. The rhythm of the simple mayday suggested desperation. With no further information the best they could do was to head at speed towards the crew room.
Neji had placed Shikamaru in the recovery position and was watching the dials. The patch prevented him connecting to Shika’s helmet so he could not check if he were breathing. At intervals he would beat mayday on the bulkhead.
He felt running footfalls through the floor. He shielded Shikamaru’s body with his own and drew his pistol.
Kakashi’s gut clenched as he saw Neji crouching over Shikamaru’s body.
Dan was beside them, connecting to Neji’s helmet for information. Kunugi was scouting for anything that could be used as a stretcher or a sling.
It was taking too long. Kakashi activated his implant, waited for it to kick in and scooped Shikamaru up. He looked at the patched helmet and prayed that Shikamaru’s brain had not been deprived of oxygen.
They headed for the crew room.
Kisame cleared the Oak. Kabuto was not heading for the gate. He had to be heading for an ungated hole; a mother ship must be coming to pick him up. Kisame only had until Kabuto jumped to disable his ship or at least to tag it.
He concentrating on getting close enough to launch a projectile filled with tags.
It took forever to fill the crew room with air. Shikamaru showed no sign of regaining consciousness. Kakashi hammered out a message on the door so that Rin would be ready.
Then the pressures were equalised, the door was open and they were in. Rin had the galley set up as a makeshift infirmary. Kakashi lay Shikamaru on the table. Rin and Shino began stripping off his suit. The rest of them removed their helmets and gloves.
Dan was unpacking the supplies he had collected in the infirmary. Rin thanked him with a look.
Under his suit Shikamaru was only wearing his ring and the chain about his neck bearing his love ring for Neji; confirmation of what he and Neji had been doing when the alarms sounded. His hair was down. At Rin’s insistence, Shino removed the jewellery. He handed it to Neji.
Neji stood there, motionless, with the chain dangling from his fingers.
Kabuto’s ship was approaching the hole.
There was no sign of a mother ship, which was good. Kisame launched one projectile, closed the gap slightly and then launched another.
Kabuto’s ship jumped and Kisame roared his frustration. The bastard had a Mulligan drive in a ship too small to hold one; he was gone.